under the stars
by dezel
Summary: It had been the perfect set up, almost like a corny romance movie but silly Alfred isn't very good with romance.


_So, I'm working on a kind of big project and been sick off and on now that winter has officially settled in (god save us all) but I wanted to write something dumb and fluffy._

 _I'm admitting this now: I'm a sucker for really corny, fluffy things._

–

Above them, the sky is bright and the spring breeze is warm and gentle. Alfred feels like he's in some teen romance movie, with the person he likes laying next to him, in the bed of his father's truck and music pumping from the inside and windows rolled down. When Alfred brought it up to Francis, that they go camp out somewhere before he goes back home, he had been reluctant. After much begging, puppy dog eyes and even the offer to pay for dinner, Francis had finally agreed.

He looks over at Francis, with slight curiosity as to how he's faring because he didn't seem thrilled about their circumstances.

"Uh, hey."

There's a momentary pause, and Francis looks over at him, bags under his eyes and he's obviously just _tired_ and had been dozing off. "Yes?" Francis' voice is cracked and comes out hoarse, so he clears and throat. "Yes?"

"D'ya have t' leave?" Not the question he wanted to ask, but it comes out anyways.

"I suppose I don't," Francis frowns a little bit. "But I wish to."

"I guess I get it." Alfred mumbles that last part. "It sucked whenever Ivan went back to Russia, because time zones and I hate long distance."

Francis sits up, back cracking a little as he twists it, to get the kinks out. While they have blankets underneath them, metal is does not make a very good bed. "Tell me about the stars, Alfred." He already knows what there is to know about astronomy, because Alfred never shuts up about it, but he doesn't care about that. He likes hearing Alfred talk about space, because his eyes light up with excitement and he can talk for hours just about one planet.

Tonight, he points out the big dipper and the small dipper and other things. Francis zones him out, by accident, but nods his head when it seems appropriate.

The pair is not an _unusual_ one, but it definitely was not expected by others in their small college or their little, strange group of friends. It had just happened, at some point, after Ivan and Alfred broke it off. Francis had invited him out to dinner, mostly to try to cheer him up as he had been so gloomy and it was starting to bother Francis because _Alfred_ shouldn't be sad. It throws the universe off its axis and makes him feel bad whenever he picks on Alfred.

After that, Alfred had sheepishly asked if he wanted to watch an old western with him. He didn't want to be alone, and it's his favorite. Francis was never a fan of American westerns, but decided to go with it. It all spiraled out of control from there, on both parts.

Francis only hopes he isn't a rebound.

As Alfred continues to chatter on, voice over the quiet music and Francis stares at him. Without thinking much, Francis gently cups Alfred's face and the other goes quiet, eyes wide.

"Whatcha doin'?"

"I'm not sure," Francis all for romance, if that's a stereotype of him, he doesn't care. Francis likes it when the mood is set, he likes to play certain rules and make his partners melt in his hands. It's harder with men, but women, they're fun to make blush and giggle. Francis is all for being refined, enjoying a spoiled life. "Let's find out."

"It's like we're in one of those stupid teen romance movies." Typical of Alfred, trying to change the subject and it's always to make himself feel less awkward. Francis rolls his eyes, shifting and leans forward.

The mood is set, and now is the time, but for some reason the music that had been playing had gone quiet. Was the play list over so soon? Francis frowns a little bit, but decides that's fine. It feels as though time stops, and then, he feels the old truck shake and Alfred lurches forward from the force and their heads hit together.

Francis curses in French as Alfred cracks up, laughing. The trucks shakes again, from the bass, and it causes Alfred to laugh even harder.

"I don't understand what's so funny." Francis grumbles.

"'m sorry," Alfred finally says, after a moment and he wipes a tear away from his eye and chuckles again. "I had to sneak that song in there." Francis scoffs a little bit. "Are you okay?"

"Just surprised, is all." Francis watches as Alfred crawls across the back of the truck and push open the back window and reaches in, obviously to change the song. It's obvious that Francis is unhappy with Alfred's little idea, and he's glad Alfred is changing it so he doesn't have to deal with whatever awful music is playing from the stereo.

After a moment, Alfred pulls back out and closes the window. He returns to his spot next to Francis. "Happy?"

"Yes, thank you." Francis moves a little bit, grabbing a stranded pillow and sets it front of Alfred, moving as best as he can and sits on it, so he's facing Alfred. "You ruined the mood."

"'m sorry."

Francis wrinkles his nose. "For that, you'll pay for dinner again and you'll come visit me over the summer."

"That doesn't sound like much of a punishment. Would we be going to McDonald's? 'Cause I can't afford anything else."

Francis gives him a look of disgust for a brief moment. He's been in the United States for three years now, and he's yet to step foot in a place such as that, and he never will. Sighing a little, deciding he'll choose a place later, Francis cups Alfred's face again. Tonight just isn't going as well as he had hoped. He prays the song doesn't change to something loud, again.

Francis lightly brushes his lips against Alfred's, and closes his eyes. He lifts Alfred's chin up a little higher as he climbs into Alfred's lap and deepens the kiss. Alfred's hands remain on the nest of blankets, and he's unsure of what to do but he finally kisses back and lifts up on hand to rest on Francis' back.

Francis lingers for a moment, with one of his hands now entangled in Alfred's hair before he finally pulls away and Alfred's hand slides off his back and back to the blankets.

Alfred is flushed a bright red now. "Uh, so."

"So?" Francis breathes out.

"I dunno." Silly, awkward Alfred who doesn't know what to do. Francis gives him another kiss on the side of the mouth and smiles a little bit. "Uh, you wanna go get food?"

"This late?"

Alfred shrugs. "Consider it the dinner I have to pay for."

Francis rolls his eyes. "Fine. Let's go."


End file.
